Men's Basketball Dominates Boards by 25 in 112-93 Win over Queens; Advance to Semis of CC Tourney on Friday at Mount Olive

MISENHEIMER, N.C. Ė Up by as many as 30 and 22 at the half, Pfeiffer University had to fend off a second half by Queens holding on for a 112-93 victory over the Royals in the first round of the 2010 Conference Carolinas menís basketball tournament on Tuesday night. With the win, the Falcons improve to 18-9 overall advancing to Friday nightís semifinal at top-seeded Mount Olive. The Royals see their season come to an end at 13-15.

Both sides traded baskets in the first three and a half minutes combining for six lead changes and three ties. James Crowder (High Point, NC) started a 17-2 Falcon run with his jumper at 16:13 of the first period. Crowder also finished the stretch with a triple, right in front of Jeff Pettiway (Edgewood, MD) and his three-ball. Later in the half, Crowder would hit on a couple of more threes to push the first-half lead to 20 and 30 four minutes apart. Pfeiffer led 58-36 at the intermission.

After yet another triple by Crowder 15 seconds into the second period, Devon Seaford (Charlotte, NC) began a quick run for the Royals that brought them under a 20-point deficit just two minutes later. A Reggie Hopkins (Gastonia, NC) three-point play helped Queens creep to within 16 at the 15:11 mark.

A three-point play by Davon Gilliard (Charleston, SC) put Pfeiffer back up 19, 71-52, with 14:14 to play in a lead that stayed that way until the halfway point of period two. Brandon Nichols (Fayetteville, NC) hit a long-range three, along with Preston Newlin (Graham, NC), which had the Royals 13 back with 8:48 to go. A couple of threes by Pettiway neutralized the situation for a couple of minutes, before the visitors again came back, this time cutting the lead to a dozen, on an Andre Lockhart (St. James, BARBADOS) bucket and free throw.

A layup by Antonio Stabler (Garner, NC) had Queens within striking distance at 11, with just under five minutes to go. Inside two minutes, as another three-point play, this one by Sean Eads (Greenville, SC) brought the Royals inside of single-digits, two free throws by Pettiway and Gilliard would again stifle their run. Pfeiffer would finish that final 1:42 on an 11-1 run to hold on for the victory.

Crowder led all scorers with 31 on the night, one of six Falcons in double-figures. Eads paced the Royals, with five in double-digits, with his 15. Chris Woods (Thomasville, NC) posted the only double-double with 18 points and 14 rebounds. Pfeiffer dominated the boards out rebounding Queens 52-27.